Funfetti Cutout Cookies | The Sweet Occasion (2024)

Soft, buttery Funfetti Cutout Cookies are fun and festive for any occasion. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into different shapes. These cookies have a short chill time and bake into perfectly shaped cookies without spreading.

We love anything funfetti at The Sweet Occasion. Both kids and adults are fans. Some favorites include mini cupcakes and no churn ice cream. Easy funfetti cutout cookies are our latest addition!

As a trained pastry chef, I always love recommending versatile recipes that can be made ahead of time. And this is precisely that! You’ll love all the ways you can serve these cookies and even make them in advance for celebrations or gifting.

If you’re planning on making these cookies for a party, add funfetti snack cake to your menu for a sprinkle celebration.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Hold their shape. These funfetti cookies hold their shape, so use your favorite cutters and decorate with royal icing for perfectly shaped decorated cookies!
• Nostalgic. Traditional sugar cutout cookies, chocolate sugar cookies, and strawberry shortbread are all delicious. But there is something nostalgic about classic funfetti!
• Versatile. These cookies are delicious served plain, covered in sprinkles, or topped with buttercream or icing. The choice is yours!

Ingredients You'll Need

• All-purpose flour. Creates the perfect cookie texture (not dense or too chewy!).
• Baking powder. A bit of baking powder helps lift the cookies slightly to make them less dense.
• Salt. Enhances the sweetness of the cookies.
• Butter. Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt that’s added to the dough. Bring your butter to room temperature to properly cream with the sugar. This will help create the ideal soft and chewy cookie consistency.
• Granulated sugar. Adds sweetness to the cookies. The sugar also retains moisture so that the centers of the cookies are soft and chewy.
• Eggs. Acts as the binding agent for all the ingredients.
• Vanilla. Always select a good quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Rainbow sprinkles. Adds a fun color element to the cookies! Change up the colors for each holiday (orange and black for Halloween or pink, white, and red for Valentine’s Day).

Note: I wouldn’t recommend using nonpareils (the tiny rainbow sugar balls). Their color will bleed into the cookies, and they add an undesirable crunchy element. Stick with sprinkles (aka jimmies)!

Equipment & Tools

• Baking sheet. I like using 2 baking sheets (baking one pan at a time) to speed up the process. If using a dark-coated pan, reduce your oven temperature to 325°F/163°C, so the bottom of your cookies do not burn.
• Parchment paper. Adds a protective layer to prevent the cookies from sticking to the sheet pan. Also helpful for rolling out the dough.
• Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups. Using a scale will give you the most accurate measurements.
• Measuring spoons.
• Handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Used to mix your dough. Follow the directions in the recipe card for the proper mixing method and times.
• Medium bowl. Used to mix the dry ingredients.
• Large bowl. If using a stand mixer, use the accompanying bowl. Otherwise, use a large mixing bowl with your handheld mixer.
• Whisk.
• Rubber spatula.
• Rolling pin. I love using a rolling pin with adjustable rings to roll the funfetti dough to a consistent thickness.
• Cookie cutters. Any shape you like!
• Wire cooling rack.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Before you begin: Bring all of your ingredients to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside, and read the recipe from start to finish.

Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cream butter and sugar. Beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix the eggs one at a time until combined, and add the vanilla.

Add dry ingredients. Slowly add the flour mixture and then the sprinkles. Mix until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough. Cut the dough in half. Roll each half between parchment paper and refrigerate.

Shape the dough and bake. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Arrange on the sheet pans and bake one pan at a time.

What's the Best Thickness for Funfetti Cutout Sugar Cookies?

I recommend a ¼-inch thickness for these funfetti roll-out cookies. It’s not too thick or thin, but if you prefer thick cookies, you can roll them out to ⅜-inch (add 1-2 minutes to the baking time).

If you love sprinkle cookies but want to skip the process of rolling and cutting, you can make these funfetti cookies. They’re soft, chewy, and you don’t need to chill the dough.

The Trick for the Perfect Cookie Shape

Chilling the cookie dough in the refrigerator helps prevent the cookies from spreading in the oven. But the additional step I recommend is rolling the dough before refrigerating it. Doing this makes it easy to cut the dough and bake immediately (no need to roll cold solid dough into a thin layer!).

Funfetti Sugar Cookie Tips

• Weigh your ingredients. Measuring ingredients by weight produces the most consistent cookies. Incorrectly measuring the flour will result in crumbly dough (too much flour) or cookies that spread (not enough flour).
• Use room temperature ingredients. Bring your eggs and butter to room temperature to ensure your ingredients combine evenly.
• Even sized cookies. It’s fun to bake a variety of shapes. If they are different sizes, bake the similar-sized cookies together for even baking.

Decorating Cutout Cookies

Decorating cutout cookies is fun and a great way to involve kids. Here are some ideas for decorating your cookies.

• Royal icing. One of the most common ways to decorate cookies is with royal icing. Use gel food coloring to get the best colors without affecting the consistency of your icing.
• Buttercream. Try Swiss meringue buttercream for a silky finish to these cookies. I love cutting the cookies into rounds and using a star tip to create a swirl on top.
• Sprinkles. You can skip the frosting. Brush the unbaked cookie dough shapes with milk and add rainbow sprinkles. They’ll stick to the milk for an easy decoration.

Recipe Variations

• Almond extract. Love the flavor of almond extract? It pairs well with these cookies. Replace half of the vanilla with pure almond extract.
• Ice cream mix-in. Leftover cookies? No problem, break them into small pieces and mix them into vanilla ice cream for a fun mix-in.
• Chocolate dipped. Dip your cooled cookies into dark or white chocolate like these shortbread cookies. You can even drizzle it over the cookies.

Storage & Freezing Tips

One of the benefits of funfetti cutout cookies is that they will stay fresh for a long time!

• At room temperature. Keep the cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
• In the freezer. Store the cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before freezing.

Note: Because of their long shelf life, funfetti rollout cookies are great for mailing to family and friends. They’re also perfect for prepping ahead for the holidays. Use holiday-themed sprinkles for a festive treat!

Frequently Asked Questions

Love Sprinkles? Try These Other Recipes

Please leave a starred rating and comment below if you make these Funfetti Cutout Cookies. I love reading your feedback! And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest! Happy Baking!

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